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The Finn Brothers + Missy Higgins Entertainment Centre, Mon 22 Nov  I
admit to having preconceptions about Missy Higgins, but I'm happy
to report that as supports go, I've seen much worse. Why she took
to a Roland keyboard and not that swanky looking grand piano is anyone's
guess, but she attacked that digital technology with gusto, appearing
at times like a risk-averse Tori Amos - she starts with a really interesting
idea, but where Amos would make it into a captivating musical piece
Higgins turns it into an emotionally charged, quite moving singalong
chorus (an observation, not a criticism). She wears her heart on her
sleeve, and it fits perfectly, although every time I hear Scar
I wish I were temporarily profoundly deaf.Neil and Tim Finn (plus band) came on stage quite unpretentiously and, with the lights lowered, went about playing a number of songs from their recent 'Everyone Is Here.' Of course, seeing as the record has had next to no radio airplay, most of the audience (average age: around 45) simply sat in their seats with a dumb glaze hanging over their faces. This picked up, of course, with an incredible rendition of the old Split Enz classic Poor Boy, a song left completely unfaded by the passage of time, at which point the Finns had the crowd eating out of their hands. Dirty Creature, featuring Neil's surprising guitar virtuosity, also appeared around this point, but the night didn't really pick up until the end of the main set, when Neil declared that the guards would no longer stop enthusiastic punters from running to the front of the stage. Suddenly the small but vocal youth audience filled the stands, screaming to the Crowded House revival of It's Only Natural, and staying for two encores - the first featuring the brilliant Weather With You and the Split Enz masterpiece I Got You, the second with crowd favourite Six Months In A Leaky Boat and finally Four Seasons In One Day, featuring the most piss-poor crowd singalong in history (c'mon, people, it's not that hard...) The Entertainment Centre may not have been the best place to host this occasion, and at the very least there should have been a general admission area for standing room throughout the entire show - I'm sure those who paid for front row seats, whose view was obstructed for half the night, would agree. But seeing the Finns on stage together is a dream come true for me, and nothing could stop me from basking in their heavenly glory.  |
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